I dont like nor hate you. In fact, I feel grateful. You just made me realize that this world is infact boring. 

 

Luhan grimaced as soon as light attacked his eyes. His dreams has been recursive for the past week. No, since the day he received the news. As he stepped down his the vehicle the grandeur building welcomed his vision. The school for elites turned refuge for the sleeping children stood proudly with its elegant designs. 

 

"Invictus" He muttered. A newly bought virbio on one-hand. One week ago, several thousand of children in Korea has been trapped in a VR game and the main broadcasting system was hacked by an unknown person. It announced the dawn of the Frozen Sleep incident where childrens currently logged in in this ultimately popular game became unable to log-out. Though assured of no death-inducing stunt pulled, the announcement detailedly explained how the Frozen children are induced in a cryrogenic sleep as long as their wishes are not granted. So for one week, those whose wishes has been completed are able to logged out and are glorified and pampered by the public. Luhan stepped inside the well-maintained facility sponsored by the elites that kept this place running. His eyes toured the whole school and drew a displeased face at the lavishness it possess. This is a bookcase rich-only school, he is seeing. 

 

"You've come earlier than expected, Mr. Lu" A man on his thirties probably. Eyes sharp with a kind and amiable disposition, Luhan found himself extending his right hand for a greeting. 

 

"It is an emergency, Mr. Kim" Luhan muttered professionally. His eyes fixed on the older man, a powerful figure from the Kim family. Minseok's uncle. As much as he tried steering clear from connecting everything to that person, he keeps remembering every facts that he knew about him. 

 

"This way" The man lead him to a long seemingly endless hallways and flight of stairs before they reached what appears to be a special room located at the deepest part of the school. "This was supposed to be the main systems room of the school but now it is the house of these children." Eleven bodies protected by a well-made and still not-out in virtual neuroglass. A coffin-like gadget made of what appears to be blue frosted glass encrypted with weird circuit drawings and works as a bed for these special children. 

 

"So, I was not supposed to buy this virbio?" Luhan sighed. He wasted money unknowingly. His eyes trailed over the faces of the students locked behind the glass coffin that monitors their conditions and game statistics.

 

"The game can't be accessed unless using a virbio. We transferred them afterwards. Though we could have provided the necessary virbio if you wanted." Kim Ryeowook grinned at the young man who flushed in embarrassment. He walked towards the neuroglass situated at the middle the room. His nephew peacefully sleeps like a young child stripped of his anxiety and defenses. He resembles his brother too much that it was worrying him but seeing him peaceful and calm like this, he smiles. 

 

"Are they the invited children?" Luhan's questioned making his company snap from his reverie. The man nodded and immediately spun his heels. His eyes were calm and serene, smile plastered on his face. 

 

"You're also one, aren't you? That's why they entrusted you this job. It took lots of haggle from our side to take you out from your father's protection. No one can access the game anymore with the exception of the invited." Luhan fished the black card on his pocket and stared at it. The words encarved on it he had repeatedly replayed on his head that he had it memorized. You are invited to make your wish come true. The wish that you truly longs for. "How did you get the card?"

 

"It was a gift to me when I was young. By someone who said that the world is still beautiful" Luhan answered in a low voice. His eyes travelling to the student encaged on glass behind Kim Ryeowook. The person he longs and avoids. His eyes travelled to the faces he vaguely remembers. People who acts strangers with each other and to him. People that he have sinned against. He sighed. I'm back everyone. "Shall we get this over then?" A neuroglass lifted its cover as if inviting Luhan to go inside which he complied immediately. The soft white mattress behind him will be his comfort for the next few hours, maybe days, or weeks, months, worse years. He booted the virbio and carefully placed it on his head. A pop-up window appeared on his vision that notifies him that the game was downloaded to the device's memory. He grinned. He hadn't played for a while. The default black background with streaming 1 and 0's filled his vision as he accessed the game immediately. 

 

"Don't worry. And just enjoy the game and bring them back safely." Luhan heard Ryeowook's faded voice from what's left of his senses in the real world. And soon, the empty white room greeted him. A man stood alone in the room. His eyes red and hair dyed sloppily in many different colors that it appears to him that every strand is of every color. He wore a red suit with black dress shirt behind it and a white tie to match his obvious lack of fashion sense. His pants were white with stains of what appears to be red dye matched with his black sneakers. He was grinning waitedly. Like a scarecrow in the middle of a vast field. 

 

"Welcome to Invictus, invited one" He greeted procuring a deck of card in his hands. The cards started floating one by one, flying towards Luhan's ydirection encircling him before it flew back to the clown's hands and neatly arranged themselves as a deck of harmless card. "My name is Alendeux, the dealer of the game"

 

"Can I ask a question?" Luhan frowned still not-amused to the sloppy mess infront of him. The dealer clapped his hands and twirled merrily before nodding in approval. The player noticed the dealer's white gloves were the only thing neat on him. 

 

"As long as they do not break the rules and order, feel free" the clown answered merrily. And Luhan had to winced at the loudness of his voice. 

 

"Speak softly." Luhan snapped. The clown chuckled and bounced like a little child. He released a tired sigh. "What does being invited means?" The question caught the clown's attention as it turned serious and the stains on his being and his messy demeanor vanished. What remains is a handsome man that looks vaguely familiar with his tantalizing blood-colored orbs and dark raven hair. Wearing a red matted suit with a white dress shirt beneath it and a red ribbon. His pants still white without stains and his shoes are of red that formal ones that match his whole attire. A monocle on his right eye and a red magician's hat on his head. A cane on his left hand and the deck of cards on his right. His face serious and mysterious. 

 

"My name is Shakath. The dealer. I will answer to your question."

 

"What happens to the clown?"

 

"His duties is to guide you to the world and oversee the gambles of the game. I am the one that does everything else. He shall be back after you are satisfied"

 

"I see. So, what does being invited mean?"

 

"That you are a necessity to fulfill the purpose of the game"

 

"What is its purpose?"

 

"That, I am not allowed to speak"

 

"What is the roles of the invited?"

 

"That, you must find by your own"

 

"Why are you sure we are neeeded?"

 

"That, is predestined"

 

"One last question. Who created the game?"

 

"The man whose wish is for your wishes to come true. The man who wished the wishes. The wishmaster"

 

"I see. Return the clown" Luhan frowned. As much as he hates being in the presence of the messy dealer, he must progress to the game immediately. As he eyed the other counterpart of the dealer whose appearance was more to his liking, he saw a lingering trace of smile. A smile, he knew too well. 

 

"Do not lose your card. It's a lucky charm. It answers to your wishes. That which you truly longs for" Shakath disappeared after his statement and replaced by a grinning Alendeux who immediately proceeded to introduce him to the world called [Invictus]. 

 

"Please state your wish, invited one"

 

"It can be of anything?" Luhan pondered. What does he wish for? A wish that you truly long for. The words written in the card was stuck on a replay in his mind. What is it that he longs for?

 

"Yes, of anything. Be it of fame and glory, Of riches and valor, Of love and virtuoso, or, Of the change of destiny or the world. Now, tell me, what is the wish that you will gamble to make it come true"

 

"I can even wish of world domination?" 

 

"Of course, you can. But, be careful." Luhan raised his brows as to question the warning. And the eerie smile on the dealer's face means the game is not as merry and generous as it sounds. "You wish only once. And once you do, everything is decided. A wish that is weak that shatters at a slight touch of destiny and a wish that is strong that reigns over all. Choose wisely of what you wish for" Luhan's eyes flashed as a wish entered his mind. Yet, he hesitates. 

 

"I've decided. I wish to save." Alendeux grinned and took the white glowing ball that contains Luhan's wish. He turned it into a card and placed it into a deck. He smiled widely that Luhan was reminded of the chesire cat he read with him long ago. A cat that annoys him because of its vague answers. 

 

"Very well!" Alendeux clapped. Turning back to his usual messy and overly-happy demeanor. "We are now analyzing the strength of your wish~ For the meantime let me explain the wonderful world of [Invictus]" Alendeux started his explanation about races. And how he faired in the analyzation of his wish. You now belong to the race of the Dragons! Luhan was about to exit the white room via the newly appeared door when Alendeux blocked his way and started explaining about the ranks. He frowned. Why can't the clown explain it in one go?

 

"So?" He raised his brows impatiently. He wants to go out of this white room and get rid of the messy creature and his babblings. "What's my rank?" Luhan cutted the sentence after the clown who in reply frowned. Luhan grinned in victory proud of his actions. 

 

"You are now of the KING rank!" the clown chirped as he threw confettis that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He concluded that this game is strange. He walked pass the merry clown and opened the door. And light blinded him momentarily before his eyes adjusted to it. He was then greeted by a sight he never saw all his life. A magnificent sight of fantasy. He smiled to himself. Before he knew it, he was kicked out of the door by the damned clown and was dropped at an amazing height towards the hard ground at an unbelievable speed. "Have a nice game~~" The clown waved. 

 

"Nice game your !!!" He shouted back and the door to the white room closed. He screamed for his dear life. And he swore at that moment he was falling in the ground, he heard a familiar voice. One that he cannot forget. Welcome to [Invictus], Luhan. It must be some kind of imagination.